Chelsea legend Mikel Obi has jumped to the defense of Victor Osimhen following the striker’s heated clash with teammate Ademola Lookman during Nigeria’s 4-0 win over Mozambique.
Despite the dominant victory, Osimhen made headlines for shouting at teammates over missed chances, rebuffing captain Wilfred Ndidi’s attempts to calm him, and walking straight to the dressing room at full-time instead of celebrating with the fans.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, Mikel argued that this friction is a sign of a winning mentality.
“I’ve never seen a nice team win trophies,” Mikel said. “You don’t win by being nice; you win by being nasty on the pitch. I like the fact that they had an argument. It shows passion.”
While Mikel praised Osimhen’s “warrior” spirit, he did criticize the striker’s decision to signal for a substitution and skip the post-match lap of honor. “Nobody is bigger than the country,” Mikel warned, noting that while the fire is good, the “afters” were unprofessional.
The tension appears short-lived, as reports from the Super Eagles camp confirm Osimhen has apologized to the squad. With the row resolved, Nigeria shifts its focus to the quarter-finals as they continue their hunt for the AFCON 2025 trophy.
